On Thursday, Eric Bieniemy was introduced as the new offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the Washington Commanders, a job few people see as an opportunity for him to become a head coach one day.
Following the announcement, the former Kansas City Chiefs OC has come out to dispel rumours that he took the job just so that he could become a head coach somewhere else.
“Being a head coach right now is not in my thought process,” Eric told reporters. “I live in the moment. I’ve got to be where my feet are. Right now my feet are planted right here.”
A follow-up question though, Why Washington? The team has an unsettled QB situation – Sam Howell is in line to be QB1 – and owners Dan and Tanya Snyder are courting the possibility of a potential sale of the franchise. Also, Head coach Ron Rivera may not have strong job security, heading into his fourth year on the job.
When asked, Bieniemy turned the question around.
“Why not Washington?” he said. “Look at all the talent. Look at the players they have. … I have never backed down from a challenge. I embrace this challenge.”
Rivera seems happy with securing Bieniemy for his squad, to control the team’s offense.
“We got our guy,” Rivera said while introducing Bieniemy on Thursday.
Eric Bieniemy was named officially as the Commanders’ offensive coordinator last week, as a replacement for Scott Turner. There were some questions as to why he would leave a successful Kansas City – which just won the Super Bowl LVII – for a position which is not a head coaching job. However, in the last five seasons, Bieniemy held his role as Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, when he took the team to two titles in three Super Bowl appearances.
The OC, had one head-coaching interview this cycle, with the Indians Colts, but it is believed that he had interviewed with half of the teams in the NFL over the past five years. While speaking, he recounted the aftermath of the Super Bowl run – and the lack of opportunities in the interim.
“The past two weeks have been physically and emotionally draining in a good way,” Bieniemy said. “I knew that it was time to move on.”
A few narratives floating around is that Eric took the offer to get out of the colossal shadow of Andy Reid, the Chiefs’ head coach. But, less successful coordinators have gotten head-coaching offers within this time frame. Plus, two former lieutenants in Kansas City – Matt Nagy and Doug Pederson – got head-coaching jobs in the past, with Pederson getting a second shot with the Jacksonville Jaguars after separating from the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2020 season.
If Bieniemy was angry about his path, he did a good job of hiding it on Thursday.
“One thing in this profession you learn: Comfort is the enemy of progress,” he said. “I’m about accepting challenges moving forward. On top of that, I’m willing to embrace this journey.”
Next season, Bieniemy will be calling plays full-time with the Washington Commanders for the first time, although Reid did mention before the Super Bowl and immediately after defeating the Eagles that his former assistant was massively involved with the offensive planning and structure.
Eric Bieniemy drew a vague picture of what he expects for the Washington Commanders offense, but he dropped a few hints on how he’ll run things.
“I just want to make sure that these guys understand that there’s a way in which I know how to do it,” he said, adding he’s “fired up and excited” to call plays.
“But on top of that, I’ve got to make sure that I’m putting these guys in the best situation to be the most explosive, the most dynamic, and also, more importantly, giving us the best opportunity to be successful.
“… When it’s all said and done with, we’re going to play hard, we’re going to play fast, we’re going to have a sense of urgency and a sense of purpose in everything that we do. That’s where it starts, and it’s all about being accountable as well — understanding the fact that indirectly, we all impact each other’s lives. It’s my job to make sure I’m doing what is right by them, but on top of that, they’ve got to make sure that they’re doing right by each other.”
A few Commanders players – Howell, wide receiver Terry McLaurin, running back Brian Robinson, and some others, were present at the news conference to hear what their new OC had to say. Anytime the questions turned towards Bieniemy’s future head-coaching prospects, he turned the focus back on his new team and the offensive players he will be guiding.
“Today I’ve got to be the best person I can be, I’ve got to be the best coach that I can be and on top of that, I’ve got to get these guys in this building to learn to trust me, to get to know me but also understand what the term accountability means,” he said. “So I have to be accountable to these men. All that stuff about being a head coach, we can talk about that next year sometime. Right now, I’m focused on the job at hand.” Eric Bieniemy said.
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